50 guests stay up for Yorkshire Tea's Night at the Museum

Die-hard cricket fans watch the Ashes with the Ashes overnight at the Home of Cricket. Ashes winner Matthew Hoggard took part in Chance to Shine fundraiser with a difference.

A group of 50 cricket enthusiasts watched the first match of the Brisbane Ashes Test in the company of the famous Ashes Urn at a very special ‘sleepover’ in the MCC Museum at Lord’s, the home of cricket, overnight on Wednesday 22 November.

‘Yorkshire Tea’s Night at the Museum’, in aid of the Chance to Shine got underway with a tour of the famous Lord’s dressing rooms, before Ashes winner Matthew Hoggard took part in an intimate Q&A session led by former England bowler Ed Giddins.

Guests, who had travelled from as far as Carlisle, then got to witness the opening exchanges between Australia and England in the historic surroundings of one of the world's oldest sports museums. Bottomless cups of Yorkshire Tea helped supporters stay awake until the end of play, although some did sneak away for short power naps in the lobby’s temporary tents.

Laura Burton, Senior Brand Manager at Yorkshire Tea said: “We weren’t going to let the time difference between the UK and Australia stop us from having a proper celebration of The Ashes! Cheering England on overnight from the home of cricket was a unique experience, thank you to everyone who came along to share it with us and support the incredible work of Chance to Shine.”

Matthew Hoggard, former England cricketer and Ashes winner in 2005, said “We’ve had a great night here watching the Ashes with some proper cricket-mad fans! Lord’s is a very special place and this has been a special evening. Fortunately, we had plenty of Yorkshire Tea about to power us through the night and I’m sure our guests have had a night to remember. Definitely something very different and a lot of fun to be a part of.”

Gifts to the charity are currently being doubled thanks to the support of Chance to Shine Patron Adrian Beecroft. With your help, we can continue to spread the power of cricket to state schools and disadvantaged communities throughout England and Wales.

Most read

Chance to Shine has built a powerful bank of free cricket teaching resources for primary schools so teachers can lead their own cricket sessions. The resources include lesson plans, instructional videos and top tips.

Chance to Shine is a national cricket charity that works in state schools and communities to spread the power of cricket. We believe that all children should be given the opportunity to play and learn through cricket.
We believe that cricket teaches children valuable skills like communication, teamwork and respect that will benefit them for the rest of their lives.

Chance to Shine work in state primary schools across England and Wales supporting schools to deliver cricket coaching to their pupils. We teach cricket in primary schools and support teachers with free resources including lesson plans, videos and tips from the professionals.

Chance to Shine is an independent charity that works to spread the power of cricket in schools and communities across the country. Set up as the Cricket Foundation, the charity aims to provide opportunities in state schools and deprived communities.

We provide competition opportunities for children in state secondary schools. We have also developed a set of digital resources for teachers. Chance to Shine will also deliver a girls' cricket programme in secondary schools, training young leaders and developing life skills through playing the sport.